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Reinforcements arrive at Purdy fire

By JOAN HAINES For the Chronicle

GALLATIN GATEWAY -- A total of 160 more firefighters and three additional helicopters arrived to battle the Purdy blaze southwest of Bozeman Sunday, and the fire was able to burn only 100 more acres.

The wildfire in the Little Bear drainage and the Yankee Creek and Cottonwood areas was estimated at 4,600 acres and was 40 percent contained as of Sunday evening, said Wayne Johnson, fire information officer.

Between Saturday and Sunday, the number of people fighting the fire rose from 488 to 831. That number included more people to operate additional fire engines, water tenders, bulldozers, as well as fire managers and information officers. Fire engines on the blaze now total 42, with 22 water tenders and six bulldozers on the scene.

"We're holding the fire in place," information officer Bruce Fox said Sunday afternoon as helicopters flew over the Little Bear drainage dropping buckets of water. "The fire wants to go to the northeast.

"It's made its big run in terms of terrain," Fox added, referring to the fire's behavior last Thursday and Friday when the blaze grew from 1,200 to 4,000 acres.

Still, crews had 17 miles of fire line left to construct to try to contain the blaze, said fire information officer Bob Summerfield.

Twenty-four crews of 20 firefighters each and 11 helicopters are battling to hold the line against the fire. A trace of rain, light winds and 30 percent humidity readings made holding the line easier, Fox said.

The air in some parts of the Gallatin Valley was brown Sunday because an inversion was keeping the smoky air in place. Fire crews were igniting unburned fuels behind homes between the edge of the fire and the fire line.

Forest Service officials have no estimate of when the fire will be completely contained or when they'll be able to leave the area.

No more evacuations of homes in the area were ordered Sunday. Stage 1 fire restrictions closing part of the Gallatin National Forest to the public are still in place. Lawmen were halting traffic Sunday on Highway 191 near the Bear Creek Road turnoff except for those who had permission to continue on.

Cost of battling the blaze as of Sunday evening was $1.67 million.

"Helicopters are one of the biggest expenses," Summerfield said.

For more information, call the fire camp at 763-3246 or the Bozeman District Office of the Gallatin Forest at 522-2050.

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